Il Ji stumbled out of his front door, locked it, and walked down the side of the road. Stumbling down the block, he eventually reached the only place on his mind.
Opening the door, he stumbled in. "Hello. I'd like to buy an ultra nutrient liquid package. I'll take the strongest under 100 federal coins. Here's the money."
Tapping his card against the register, he waited for the clerk. She quickly rushed him a jug, and was appalled to see him devour the entire thing.
Staring off into space, Il Ji wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
"I'll take one more… to go."
'It seems that it properly reverses the effects of sacrificing a copper skill. No more, and no less. However, it will take care of my needs for now.'
Checking his balance, Il Ji noticed the price tag. It was quite reasonable. Only 60 federal coins.
While this wasn't much, it would quickly nip him in the bud if he used it too much.
As the employee handed him the drink, she had only one thought. 'Monster! Those are for Beasts!'
Il Ji walked out of the shop happily. Humming a sneaky tune, he walked right into the waiting arms of none other than… Sebastian?
"Hey. Long time no see." The handsome rich boy declared.
"Hello Sebastian." Il Ji returned his greeting. "I hope your date went well? That girl on your arm was a thing."
The man began to preen a bit. "Yes, she was, wasn't she? She was super interested in my new copper rank beast. I believe in raising all my beasts from the bottom, you know? Sadly, though, she didn't live up to my expectations for the mother of my children."
"Anyways," the man continued, "I managed to attain a new support beast, a Long-Necked Mystic Magic Turtle, Lily."
"It seems that most of the girls I find happen to be very, very interested in her. What about you? How's life treating you these days?"
"Well, since you're the one asking, I have yet to find a girlfriend that meets my requirements too. Apart from that, I inherited the family business and used what was left over from my parents deaths to ensure its' sustainability. While it doesn't make much, it's always in the green."
"As for right now, I'm currently starting up a second business on the side so I take care of my sister..."
"Oh?"
"Yes, I'm planning on going independent as a private beast trainer. Right now the skills I know are only at copper and iron rank, but…"
"Do you know any decent attack skills?" Sebastian butted in. "I need an appropriate skill for Lily here."
At this, Sebastian summoned his new turtle from his soulspace. Her shell was green, and her head was the color of milk tea. Golden lines formed complex runes on the surface of her shell. Natural pink lines colored the edges of her eyes.
"You certainly are right about her beauty." Il Ji commented lightly.
"Mmm." Sebastian nodded. "She's a support beast. Weaving magic from the air using her head, she can help my other beasts by sending different aura waves in combat. However, her shell weighs so much she can't move fast enough to fight back."
"She has the defense, but nothing to let her fight back."a
The little turtle lowered her head glumly. "To be frank, she's lost every battle she's had in the arena. Can you help me?"
"Hmmmmm." Il Ji stroked his non-existent beard. "If you give me a day with her, I can teach her an attack skill she can use. Normally, since I knew you in high school- I'd do it for free. But still, I'll need some form of recuperation so that I can keep my new business afloat."
"I can always help out a friend in need." The man replied. Somehow, . "If it's money, I have it in spades, but if it's something else, just let me know."
"Mmm. In that case, how about… 3,000 Federal Coins and a Contraband Absolution Ticket?"
"That sounds reasonable."
"Good!" Il Ji extended his hand, and they shook. "How does this Friday, say 3PM in the afternoon sound?"
"Today's Thursday, right? So that would be tomorrow? I can make that work."
"Good! I'll stop by then. Are you still at the mansion?"
"…The benefits are worth it, my friend."
"I'll see you then! Take care, Sebastian."
As they waved each other off, Il Ji turned around and smiled to himself. The 3,000 federal coins were a payday for him, but for a man like Sebastian they were petty change.
As for the Contraband Absolution Ticket, it was priceless. However, with his father being a judge Sebastian was able to get them for cheap. Il Ji had seen them several times when he was younger at various events.
He had assumed that Sebastian got them easily, even though Sebastian played them off like they were super rare.
It looked like he was right.
Besides, by asking for the paltry 3,000 first, it made it seem more like a win for Sebastian. In the end, they both walked off happy.
Now all he needed was to attain the skills to create an upgraded version of [Charge] to gift Sebastian's new beast. For a beast with a defense-based body build, [Bash] should work perfectly.